Legal Team at Pahl & Associates

Mr BalvinderPahl

Mr Balvinder Pahl LLB (Hons)

Principal Immigration Consultant

 

Areas of expertise:

  • Skilled Worker Immigration
  • Family Class Applications
  • Work and Study Permits

 

 

Professional Affiliations:

  • Immigration Consultants Canadian Regulatory Council ICCRC
  • The Office of Immigration Services Commissioner OISC

 

Pahl & Associates was founded by Mr. Balvinder S. Pahl LLB (Hons) and has been based in London UK since 2005, prior to this the office was located in Vancouver Canada. Mr. Pahl who is a dual British and Canadian national graduated with a law degree in the U.K. in 1985 and has also successfully completed the University of British Columbia Immigration Practitioners Certificate Program. 

 

Mr. Pahl has more than twenty years of experience working exclusively in the field of immigration, both in the U.K. and Canada. His immigration experience has been achieved as an Immigration Counsellor in the public sector; an Immigration Consultant in private practice; and as an Immigration Executive whilst employed alongside Canadian and UK Immigration lawyers in their respective law practices. 


During the years Mr. Pahl has dealt regularly with government departments and their overseas posts whilst helping hundreds of individuals and families with their immigration applications. Mr. Pahl has also represented numerous clients before the Immigration Appellate Authorities. He has been quoted in legal journals and newspapers in matters pertinent to his immigration experiences and successful client decisions.

 

Mr Pahl is qualified to practise immigration law in both the UK and Canadian jurisdictions, which places him in a unique position to deal with individuals who have to consider their status in the UK when contemplating  Canadian immigration options.


Mr. Pahl regularly attends and participates in legal seminars/courses relevant to immigration practice in order to keep abreast of the ever-changing Canadian immigration regulations and policies, and to provide competent professional services for the benefit of his clients.

 

As member of the Immigration Consultants Canadian Regulatory Council Mr. Pahl is bound to comply with high standards of ethics professionally and personally. This means that the applications Mr. Pahl submits will always be completed to a strict professional standard. Prior to accepting a case it will be thoroughly reviewed to ensure that it stands a reasonable chance of being accepted by the Government of Canada. In the event that an application is weak as to any legal merit, a prospective client will be so informed in an honest and frank manner to avoid clients' wasting their time and hard-earned money 

ICCRC Website

 


NEW: Bill C-35 comes into force and new regulator announced
As of June 30, 2011, the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC) is the regulator of immigration consultants. Immigration consultants in good standing with the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC) on June 30, 2011, can begin to register with the ICCRC. Find out more...

Points to consider when choosing a Legal Representative

Finding a qualified legal representative for a Canadian immigration case in the U.K. or any part of the world is often a challenging task. The first issue that potential clients should consider is whether their proposed legal representative is lawfully permitted to represent them. 

 

According to the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations ("IRPR") only a lawyer who is admitted to practice law in one of the Canadian provinces or an immigration consultant who is a member of ICCRC may represent a client in a Canadian immigration matter.

 

Canadian-licensed lawyers are clearly authorised to represent clients in Canadian immigration matters. Uncertified immigration consultants who are not members of ICCRC act in violation of both federal and provincial laws.


Please Note: Lawyers or Immigration Consultants licensed in other countries (such as the United States, the United Kingdom, India, etc.) are considered uncertified immigration consultants and may not act as legal representatives in Canadian immigration cases.

 

For the reasons stated above, potential clients should retain a Canadian-licensed lawyer or ICCRC registered immigration consultantfor their Canadian immigration case whenever possible. 

 

They only way that a U.K. licensed lawyer or consultant will be permitted to act as an authorised representative in a Canadian immigration matter is if he or she is also a member of a provincial law society or a member of ICCRC. 

 

Under no circumstances should an uncertified immigration consultant be hired for a Canadian immigration case. These uncertified consultants act in violation of both Canadian federal law and provincial law. Anyone who retains an uncertified immigration consultant does so at his or her own risk. In particular beware of U.K. based agents falsely claiming to be qualified in Canadian immigration law and offering dubious advice and services. We often have to deal with the consequences of their incompetent actions and inflated promises.

 


Canadian Government advice when appointing an immigration consultant

 

Choosing an immigration consultant:

  • Ask for recommendations from people you trust. Talk to several potential advisers before choosing one.
  • Ask about their training and experience:
    • find out if they are authorized
    • ask for references
    • find out how long they have been in business.
  • Discuss what services they will provide and the fee. Get this information in writing.
  • Ask questions. You should be wary of a consultant who refuses to answer your questions.
  • Be careful of anything that sounds too good to be true
  • Make sure you get a written contract—read it carefully before you sign it. Make sure that all the promised services are listed and the fee is clearly set out.
  • Do not leave original documents or photos with the consultant.
  • Do not sign blank application forms. If the consultant has forms or documents for you to sign, do not sign them unless you are able to read them. If you don’t understand them, bring someone with you to translate. Make sure to get copies of any documents that are prepared for you.
  • Any time you make a payment, get a signed receipt.
  • If you appoint a representative who is not a member of one of the designated bodies, your application will be returned.

 



Remember—you are responsible for all the information in your application. It is against the law to give false or misleading information to Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

  • If the information on your application is false or misleading, this is against the law and you may be refused entry to Canada or be deported from Canada after you arrive.
  • Immigration consultants who tell you to provide false or misleading information are also breaking the law.

 

Further Information

Any questions about our services?

Contact us on 020 3086 7388 or directly via our contact form.